Written in the Hour before Class

After finishing the this week’s readings (or skimming the last two), I was a pleasantly surprised to see that I am capable of writing the assignment so quickly. If you are how I was, you find great pain and extreme difficulty in (1) sitting down, (2) starting to write, (3) writing the first word, (4) first sentence… Fear not! That is the solution; do not be scared that the ideas that you have are not good enough. At least that was the barrier I had to overcome.

I thank my English teachers for their patience and encouragement. But it was not until after high school that I broke through and could write with confidence. I hope find and polish that courage in my students. For me the barrier was disbelief of my potential stemming from situations in my development; for others it might be the fear of harassment for being nerdy. How can a teacher be effective, though, when there are so many psychosocial walls to knock down?

Here is my first (non-lab report) paper since freshman year.

This series of articles was enjoyable to read. Much of their content related to thoughts and experiences that I have had in my recent years of beginning to explore education. While I could easily comment on nearly every paragraph, I will limit myself to share the highlights.

One might note that Marian Edelmen’s “Leaving No Child Behind” has religious motivation for providing students with what they need, while Stanley Eitzen’s “Problem Students” has a secular approach. What stands out in both is the importance of helping all. The former, while referencing the Founder of Christianity at one point, certainly has content and reasoning that a person of any faith can agree with.

It is possible for readers who are rightfully disillusioned by certain aspects of religious systems as they exist today to disregard this first article. Similarly, an impassioned person of faith might deem the later article bereft of inspiration in contrast to the first. But we must appreciate that the article’s conclusions are the same, namely, the importance of empowering students to counter the negative forces facing them. This is an example of two schools of thought – heart and soul as opposed to social and scientific reasoning – that are actually not in opposition at all. Today, as humanity struggles past prejudices, students who are led to appreciate divergent views rather than shoot them down at first sight will become amazing contributors to future society.

This concept is one I hope to make known in my classroom. Students can benefit from knowing that multiple approaches to understanding reality are legitimate. There is an obvious connection here to the wonderful theme of understanding expressed by Carl Glickman in his article “Dichotomizing Education.”

In reflecting on the sarcastically titled “How to Create Discipline Problems” by Mark Wasicsko and Steven Ross, I noted with gratitude that many of the ugly situations described were not part of my K-12 education process. With the meager exception of one or two teachers, most of my educators were very helpful and encouraging. In the context of this course, during which we have so far witnessed the pedantic political issues that plague school systems, this is comforting. Either this means that my experience has been a statistical anomaly or that teacher training programs (at least in New Jersey!) have been improving over the years.

It is relevant to note that such prevalent maturity among teachers with respect to choosing encouragement over harsh discipline is not what I witnessed during my eight months in a Caribbean school system. In Saint Kitts and Nevis as well as Antigua and Barbuda, practices like corporal punishment and humiliation in front of peers are still commonplace. As one can imagine (and has hopefully not experienced) it is sad to see. However, it is worse to know that there are more examples throughout all parts of the world and our country. This is why I am committed to eventually helping education and development initiatives abroad.

Despite the gloomy picture I might have inadvertently painted, there are positive efforts that are experiencing success in the Caribbean that closely parallel the suggestions raised by Wasicsko an Ross. I had the bounty to help with teacher training sessions on the Canadian-born Virtues Project. Its strategies include establishing clear boundaries, “treating students with love and respect,” and even recognizing “teachable moments” as mentioned by Jacqueline Woods in her article “Hostile Hallways.” Expounding on the benefits of practices like these is beyond the scope of this paper. So suffice it to say that the efficacy of each can be supported by a host of heart-warming stories of students’ and teachers’ transformation.

In addition to appreciation for the articles’ themes already discussed, I should also acknowledge the benefit of practical selections like “At Risk for Abuse” by Dennis Cares et al. and Thomas McDaniel’s “The Teacher’s Ten Commandments.” Coming into this class, I had the idea that all one needs to teach well is passion and understanding of children. While I am not giving that up, I am happy to know that there is delineated guidance for difficult situations that I can also return to.